The best 1-for-1 hotel buffet dining promotions in Singapore (June 2019)

The best 1-for-1 hotel buffet dining promotions in Singapore (June 2019)

Nothing gets Singaporeans going like a hotel buffet, but the problem is that most of them are pretty expensive at full price. Luckily, with the current spate of excellent credit card promotions in Singapore, you can get half-price hotel buffets with practically any card.

In compiling this list, I focused only on the biggest discounts, i.e. 1-for-1 buffet and 50 per cent off food bill. There are plenty of smaller discounts but we ignored those because obviously everyone wants the most bang for your buck. The deals are sorted by expiry date, then by price.

Always check the terms and conditions first. Typically you have to call to reserve, quote your bank name to secure the discount (because it may be limited to X number of patrons a day) and pay using that card. Usually both credit or debit cards are accepted as long as it's from the partner bank.

DBS/POSB DINING PROMOTIONS 2019

Restaurant Promotion Buffet price Expiry
Courtyard by Marriott (Sky22) 1-for-1 buffet lunch  $56++ (Sat & Sun) 30 Jun 2019
Courtyard by Marriott (Sky22) 1-for-1 buffet dinner  $56++ (Fri & Sat) 30 Jun 2019
Marina Mandarin (AquaMarine) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $60++ 30 Jun 2019
Furama RiverFront (Kintamani) 1-for-1 buffet lunch & dinner $65++ 30 Jun 2019
Furama RiverFront (The Square) 1-for-1 buffet lunch & dinner $78++ 30 Jun 2019
One Farrer Hotel (Escape) 1-for-1 high tea buffet  $38++ (Sat & Sun) 31 Aug 2019
One Farrer Hotel (Escape) 1-for-1 buffet lunch  $50++ (Mon to Thu) 31 Aug 2019
One Farrer Hotel (Escape) 1-for-1 buffet dinner  $65++ (Mon to Thu) 31 Aug 2019
Park Hotel Clarke Quay (Cocobolo) 1-for-1 buffet dinner  $72++ (Fri & Sat) 30 Sep 2019
Mercure Bugis (Royale Restaurant) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $35++ 30 Dec 2019
Odoru Kuma 1-for-1 weekend buffet dinner $36.80+  30 Dec 2019
Hotel Grand Pacific (Sun’s Cafe) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $38++ (Mon to Thu) / $40++ (Fri to Sun) 31 Dec 2019
Hotel Grand Pacific (Sun’s Cafe) 1-for-1 buffet dinner $45++ (Mon to Thu) / $47++ (Fri to Sat) 31 Dec 2019
Grand Mercure Roxy (Feast@East) 1-for-1 buffet lunch  $46++ (Tue only) 31 Dec 2019
Mercure Bugis (Royale Restaurant) 1-for-1 high tea buffet  $48++ (Sat & Sun) 30 Dec 2019
Peninsula Excelsior Hotel (Coleman Cafe) 1-for-1 buffet lunch  $48++ (Mon to Fri)  30 Dec 2019
Grand Mercure Roxy (Feast@East) 1-for-1 buffet dinner  $52++ (Tue only) 31 Dec 2019
Peninsula Excelsior Hotel (Coleman Cafe) 1-for-1 buffet dinner  $58++ (Sat to Sun) 30 Dec 2019
Mercure Bugis (Royale Restaurant) 1-for-1 buffet dinner $68++ 30 Dec 2019
Amara Singapore (Element) 1-for-1 buffet dinner $72++ 31 Dec 2019
Mandarin Orchard (Triple Three) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $78++ (Mon to Sat) / $118++ (Sun) 30 Dec 2019
The Westin (Seasonal Tastes) 1-for-1 buffet dinner $88++ (Sun to Thu) / $98++ (Fri, Sat) 30 Jun 2019

Practically every person in Singapore has a DBS/POSB credit card, so it shouldn't be a problem for most of us to enjoy these 1-for-1 buffet promotions. Make sure to book in advance, though.

UOB DINING PROMOTIONS 2019

UOB has some of the best dining promotions in town, with exclusive tie-ups with the PARKROYAL chain of hotels and their restaurants. In addition to the usual suspects, there are also deals for fancy spots like W Sentosa and Mandarin Orchard.

Restaurant Promotion Buffet price Expiry
PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road (Spice Brasserie) 1-for-1 buffet lunch  $32++ (Mon to Fri) 30 Jun 2019
PARKROYAL on Beach Road (Ginger) 1-for-1 buffet lunch  $35++ (Mon to Fri) 30 Jun 2019
Mercure Bugis (Royale Restaurant) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $35++ 30 Jun 2019
Hotel Jen Tanglin (J65) 1-for-1 high tea buffet  $39++ (Sat) 30 Jun 2019
PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road (Spice Brasserie) 1-for-1 buffet dinner  $42++ (Mon to Thu) 30 Jun 2019
Mercure Bugis (Royale Restaurant) 1-for-1 high tea buffet  $48++ (Sat to Sun) 30 Jun 2019
Peninsula Excelsior Hotel (Coleman Cafe) 1-for-1 buffet lunch  $48++ (Mon to Fri) 30 Jun 2019
Crowne Plaza Changi Airport (Azur) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $58++ (Mon to Sat) 30 Jun 2019
Peninsula Excelsior Hotel (Coleman Cafe) 1-for-1 buffet dinner  $58++ (Sat to Sun) 30 Jun 2019
PARKROYAL on Beach Road (Ginger) 1-for-1 buffet dinner  $58++ (Mon to Thu) 30 Jun 2019
Holiday Inn (Atrium) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $58++ (Mon to Fri) 30 Jun 2019
Marina Mandarin (AquaMarine) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $60++ 30 Jun 2019
Holiday Inn Orchard (Window on the Park) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $65++ 30 Jun 2019
Mercure Bugis (Royale Restaurant) 1-for-1 buffet dinner $68++ 30 Jun 2019
Holiday Inn Orchard (Window on the Park) 1-for-1 buffet dinner $70++ 30 Jun 2019
W Sentosa (The Kitchen Table) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $78++ (Mon to Sat) 30 Jun 2019
W Sentosa (The Kitchen Table) 1-for-1 buffet dinner $88++ (Mon to Thu) 30 Jun 2019
Holiday Inn (Atrium) 1-for-1 buffet dinner $90++ (Sun to Thu) / $100++ (Fri to Sat) 30 Jun 2019
Hotel Grand Pacific (Sun’s Cafe) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $38++ (Mon to Fri) / $40++ (Sat to Sun) 31 Dec 2019
Hotel Grand Pacific (Sun’s Cafe) 1-for-1 buffet dinner $45++ (Mon to Thu) / $47++ (Fri to Sat) 31 Dec 2019
Amara Singapore (Element) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $55++ (Mon to Fri) 31 Dec 2019
Mandarin Orchard (Triple Three) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $78++ (Mon to Sat) / $118++ (Sun) 30 Apr 2020

OCBC DINING PROMOTIONS 2019

OCBC had a slew of dining promotions - including 1-for-1 buffets at M Hotel and Grand Copthorne - but they all expired in April 2019. Now, we're left the following two:

Restaurant Promotion Buffet price Expiry
Park Hotel Clarke Quay (Cocobolo) 1-for-1 buffet dinner  $72++ (Fri & Sat) 31 Aug 2019
Holiday Inn Orchard (Window on the Park) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $65++ 31 Mar 2020
Holiday Inn Orchard (Window on the Park) 1-for-1 buffet dinner $70++ 31 Mar 2020

Also check out their other 1-for-1 and hotel dining promotions. Some good ones are: 1-for-1 wagyu shabu shabu set at City Hot Pot, 1-for-1 pizza at Masons, 1-for-1 seafood/steak at Porta, and 1-for-1 steak at The Fine Line. For hotel dining, there's 15 per cent off at halal buffet Carousel and up to 15 per cent off at various restaurants in swanky Shangri-La Hotel (a.k.a. Shang).

CITIBANK DINING PROMOTIONS 2019

Restaurant Promotion Buffet price Expiry
Suki-Ya (selected outlets) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $18.90++ (Mon to Thu) 13 Jun 2019
Rocku Yakiniku 1-for-1 buffet lunch $29.90++ (Mon to Thu) 13 Jun 2019
Carlton City Hotel (Plate) 1-for-1 buffet dinner $70++ (Thu) 30 Jun 2019
Copthorne King’s Hotel (Princess Terrace) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $51.80++ (Mon to Thu) / $53.80++ (Fri) 15 Jul 2019
M Hotel (The Buffet) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $58++ (Mon to Fri) 15 Jul 2019
M Hotel (Cafe 2000) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $62++ (Sat to Sun) 15 Jul 2019
Grand Copthorne (Food Capital) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $64++ (Mon to Fri) / $66.60++ (Sat to Sun) 15 Jul 2019
M Hotel (The Buffet) 1-for-1 buffet dinner $65++ (Sun to Thu) 15 Jul 2019
Grand Copthorne (Food Capital) 1-for-1 buffet dinner $76++ (Mon to Thu) / $84++ (Fri to Sun) 15 Jul 2019
M Hotel (Cafe 2000) 1-for-1 buffet dinner $78++ (Sun to Thu) 15 Jul 2019
One Farrer Hotel (Escape) 1-for-1 high tea buffet $38++ (Sat & Sun) 31 Jul 2019
Sheraton Towers (The Dining Room) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $52++ 31 Jul 2019
Swissotel Merchant Court (Ellenborough Market) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $52++ (Mon to Fri) 31 Jul 2019
One Farrer Hotel (Escape) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $50++ (Mon to Thu) 31 Jul 2019
One Farrer Hotel (Escape) 1-for-1 buffet dinner $65++ (Mon to Thu) 31 Jul 2019
Shangri-La Hotel (The Line) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $65++ (Mon only) 31 Jul 2019
Swissotel Merchant Court (Ellenborough Market) 1-for-1 buffet dinner $68++ (Mon to Fri) 31 Jul 2019
W Sentosa (The Kitchen Table) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $78++ (Mon to Sat) 31 Jul 2019
Shangri-La Hotel (The Line) 1-for-1 buffet dinner $80++ (Mon only) 31 Jul 2019
W Sentosa (The Kitchen Table) 1-for-1 buffet dinner $88++ (Mon to Thu) 31 Jul 2019
Carlton City Hotel (Plate) 1-for-1 buffet brunch $48++ (Sun) 6 Oct 2019
Carlton City Hotel (Plate) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $48++ (Mon to Fri) 31 Dec 2019

HSBC DINING PROMOTIONS 2019

Here are the 1-for-1 buffet promotions I found on HSBC's website:

Restaurant Promotion Buffet price Expiry
One Farrer Hotel (Escape) 1-for-1 high tea buffet  $38++ (Sat & Sun) 31 Jul 2019
Marriott Tang Plaza (Marriott Cafe) 50% off lunch buffet  $59++ (Mon to Sat) / $78++ to $98++ (Sun) 31 Jul 2019
Village Hotel Katong (Katong Kitchen) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $40++ (Mon to Fri) / $50++ (Sat to Sun) 30 Dec 2019
Village Hotel Changi (Saltwater) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $42++ 30 Dec 2019
Shin Minori 1-for-1 buffet lunch $43.90++ 30 Dec 2019
Village Hotel Changi (Saltwater) 1-for-1 buffet dinner $46++ (Mon to Thu) / $58 (Fri to Sun) 30 Dec 2019
Village Hotel Katong (Katong Kitchen) 1-for-1 buffet dinner $50++ (Mon to Fri) / $60++ (Sat to Sun) 30 Dec 2019
Holiday Inn (Atrium) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $58++ (Mon to Fri) 31 Dec 2019
Holiday Inn (Atrium) 1-for-1 buffet dinner $90++ (Sun to Thu) / $100++ (Fri to Sat) 31 Dec 2019
Holiday Inn Orchard (Window on the Park) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $65++ 28 Feb 2020
Holiday Inn Orchard (Window on the Park) 1-for-1 buffet dinner $70++ 28 Feb 2020

HSBC has also recently made it free for all cardmembers to access HSBC x The Entertainer deals around town (previously, you had to pay $5). You just need to download the HSBC x Entertainer app and unlock it with a code.

Even if not for the buffets, I totally encourage HSBC cardmembers to download the app because it has lots of excellent dining deals and discounts for a la carte orders too. It's free anyway, right?

MAYBANK DINING PROMOTIONS 2019

Restaurant Promotion Buffet price Expiry
Swissotel Merchant Court (Ellenborough Market) 1-for-1 buffet lunch  $52++ (Mon to Fri) 30 Jun 2019
Swissotel Merchant Court (Ellenborough Market) 1-for-1 buffet dinner $68++ (Mon to Fri) 30 Jun 2019
Sheraton Towers (The Dining Room) 1-for-1 buffet dinner  $78++ (Mon to Fri except Wed) 30 Jun 2019
Hotel Fort Canning (The Salon) 1-for-1 breakfast buffet $35++ 30 Sep 2019
Hotel Jen Tanglin (J65) 1-for-1 high tea buffet  $39++ (Sat) 30 Sep 2019
Marriott Tang Plaza (Marriott Cafe) 50% off high tea buffet $45++ (Mon to Fri) / $48++ (Sat to Sun) 30 Sep 2019
Furama RiverFront (Kintamani) 1-for-1 buffet lunch & dinner $65++ 30 Sep 2019
Furama RiverFront (The Square) 1-for-1 buffet lunch & dinner $78++ 30 Sep 2019
Holiday Inn (Atrium) 1-for-1 buffet lunch $58++ (Mon to Fri) 31 Dec 2019
Song of India 1-for-1 buffet lunch (Mon to Fri) $60++ 31 Dec 2019
Holiday Inn (Atrium) 1-for-1 buffet dinner $90++ (Sun to Thu) / $100++ (Fri to Sat) 31 Dec 2019

Maybank is pretty new to the dining promotions game and has quite an impressive number of hotel partners and buffets, but only a few are 1-for-1. The rest typically require 2 to 4 paying adults to "earn" the discount. Have a look at the most bang-for-buck 1-for-1 buffet deals below:

You might also want to check out their other dining promotions just to see if your favourite buffet restaurant is in there. Maybank has a number of halal buffet deals in there, such as a $50 nett weekday lunch buffet at Aquamarine and 15 per cent off at Carousel.

STANDARD CHARTERED DINING PROMOTIONS 2019

Restaurant Promotion Buffet price Expiry
Fullerton Hotel (Town Restaurant) 50% off weekday buffet lunch $57++ 30 Apr 2020
Fullerton Hotel (Town Restaurant) 50% off buffet dinner $59++ 30 Apr 2020
Fullerton Hotel (The Courtyard) 50% off chocolate buffet $45++ (Fri, Sat) 30 Apr 2020
Fullerton Hotel (The Courtyard) 50% off afternoon tea buffet $49++ (Mon to Fri), $55 (Sat, Sun & PH) 30 Apr 2020
Fullerton Hotel (The Courtyard) 50% off weekday Indian curry buffet   $45++ 30 Apr 2020

Standard Chartered ha an excellent promotion with Fullerton Hotel and Fullerton Bay Hotels restaurants, where you can get up to 50 per cent off your food bill. You get the maximum 50 per cent discount if you dine with 1 guest (or 1 guest + 1 child); see how it works here.

Another one that would appeal to atas gourmet types is a collaboration with Les Amis group of restaurants, which includes loads of fancy places like Bistro Du Vin, Sushi Jin, and (obviously) Les Amis. You typically get a 20 per cent discount the bill (e.g. $20 off min. spend $100, or $100 off min. spend $500), except for Peperoni Pizzeria which has 1-for-1 weekday set lunch.

It's not quite as good, but Standard Chartered also has a tie-up with Marina Bay Sands restaurants such as Adrift by David Meyers, Bread Street Kitchen and CUT by Wolfgang Puck. You can get either a $25 return voucher when you spend $250, or 1 person dines for free with 3 paying diners. The promotion runs until 30 Sep 2019.

AMERICAN EXPRESS DINING PROMOTIONS 2019

Unlike its competitors, American Express doesn't offer 1-for-1 buffets to anyone with a credit card. Instead, you need to sign up for the Amex Platinum Card in order to get decent buffet discounts.

The Platinum card lets you take part in Amex's dining programme, Love Dining, and comes with a complimentary Far Card membership, so you get up to 50 per cent off at atas restaurants and hotel buffets in Singapore. To get the maximum 50 per cent discount, you need to dine with one friend/date. Otherwise, your discount ranges from only 15 per cent to 35 per cent.

Bear in mind that there's a hefty annual fee of $321 attached to the card, and you can only get it waived if you're a really big spender. Still, if you're a real foodie, you would probably get quite a bit of utility from this card.

Restaurant Promotion Buffet price
Swissotel Merchant Court (Ellenborough Market Cafe) 50% off high tea buffet (Sat to Sun) $42++
Marriott Tang Plaza (Marriott Cafe) 50% off high tea buffet $45++ (Mon to Fri) / $48++ (Sat to Sun)
One Farrer Hotel (Escape) 50% off buffet lunch $50++
Swissotel Merchant Court (Ellenborough Market Cafe) 50% off buffet lunch $52++
Amara Singapore (Element) 50% off buffet lunch & high tea $52++ (Mon to Fri lunch) / $42++ (Sat to Sun high tea)
Holiday Inn (Atrium) 50% off buffet lunch & high tea $58++ (Mon to Fri lunch) / $64++ (Sat to Sun high tea)
Conrad Centennial (Oscar’s) 50% off buffet lunch $59++ (Mon to Sat)
Marriott Tang Plaza (Marriott Cafe) 50% off buffet lunch $59++ (Mon to Sat) / $78++ to $98++ (Sun)
One Farrer Hotel (Escape) 50% off buffet dinner $65++ (Sun to Thu) / $70 (Fri to Sat)
Fairmont (Asian Market Cafe) 50% off buffet lunch $66++
Swissotel Merchant Court (Ellenborough Market Cafe) 50% off buffet dinner $68++
Conrad Centennial (Oscar’s) 50% off dinner buffet $69++ (Sun to Thu) / $83++ (Fri to Sat)
Amara Singapore (Element) 50% off buffet dinner $72++
Fairmont (Asian Market Cafe) 50% off buffet dinner $72++ (Fri to Sat 8pm) / $76++ (Sun to Thu) / $78++ (Fri to Sat 6pm)
W Sentosa (The Kitchen Table) 50% off buffet lunch $78++ (Mon to Sat)
Marriott Tang Plaza (Marriott Cafe) 50% off buffet dinner $78++ (Sun to Wed) / $88++ (Fri to Sat) / $108++ (Thu)
W Sentosa (The Kitchen Table) 50% off buffet dinner $88++ (Mon to Thu)
Holiday Inn (Atrium) 50% off buffet dinner $90++ (Sun to Thu) / $200++ (Fri to Sat)

IS YOUR FAVOURITE 1-FOR-1 BUFFET RESTAURANT FULLY BOOKED? TRY THE ENTERTAINER, EATIGO, CHOPE & FAVE

Aside from the promotional validity dates, many of these promotions are limited to a certain number of diners per day or promotional period. If for whatever reason you're not able to get a seat, don't panic - there are other dining apps to help you save on that buffet feast.

THE ENTERTAINER

The Entertainer is a paid subscription that focuses on 1-for-1 deals, which is our absolute favourite kind of discount. Currently, you can get 1-for-buffet deals at Shin Minori, Katong Kitchen, Straits Cafe and more. As an added bonus, the partner merchants aren't restricted to restaurants and cafes, too - so you can expect beauty, fashion and fitness deals as well.

At $85, the subscription fee for Entertainer 2019 is kind of steep, but it also includes Cheers, its sister app for bars and pubs, and The Entertainer JB for 1-for-1 deals at hip restaurants and cafes in Johor Bahru.

EATIGO

Eatigo is an online restaurant reservation service that offers discounts based on what time you dine. Check out the full list of hotel buffet deals at their website.

The off-peak hours typically offer the most discounts, but that's not always the case: Currently, you can dine for half-price at J65 at Hotel Jen Tanglin and Ellenborough Market Cafe at Swissotel Merchant Court from 6.30pm onwards. Others like Azur at Crown Plaza Changi Airport require you to wait until 8.30pm for the 50 per cent off.

CHOPE

Like Eatigo, Chope reservation service that happens to also offer exclusive discounts for their users. Chope is currently having a tie-up with Visa, offering many value-for-money buffet deals. The catch is that you'll need to pre-purchase discounted dining vouchers to enjoy the discounts.

Some participating restaurants include Gyuu+ and Shabu Tan Japanese hotpot, both of which are famous for their wagyu beef buffets.

FAVE

Fave is the new Groupon, and while they've expanded their services to include a lot of new things like FavePay, they still sell discounted dining vouchers.

This article was first published in MoneySmart

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